White Dresses
by Cearta Day
Summary: A meeting with an old friend leaves TK wondering. AU. One-shot


I feel awful that I haven't updated updated Best Kept Secret or Eye of the Hurricane, so I figured I'd post some random story from my computer so that everyone knows I'm still alive.

**Read this: **This takes place in a 02 AU I dreamed up but never actually wrote out. All you need to know is Kari was killed during Adventure, and TK got knocked out during a rough battle in the Digital World. The title makes more sense with the rest of the AU...

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White Dresses

_'Oh, my head…'_

TK sat up quickly, perhaps too quickly since he recoiled, clutching the back of his head and steadying himself with the other hand. Eyes squinted slightly, he tried to figure out where he was.

He didn't recognize this part of the Digital World though it didn't stand out much. It seemed like the typical wooded area with various trees and bushes, but oddly enough the clearing he laid in was surrounded almost entirely by white lilies. Untarnished sunlight rained down on the woods, and the trees cast various shadows leaving a mellow feel.

A rustling noise came from behind one of the trees. TK's head shot around causing another wave of pain at the sudden motion. More rustling and slipping out from behind the trees was another human quite like himself but then again not like himself at all. A girl about his age with silky, chestnut hair reaching the small of her back and eyes the color of brilliant rubies. She dressed in a simple, flowing dress of purest white that fell just below her knees.

The girl, though human in looks, seemed to be more than that. She was angelic with a sweet smile to boot. A smile that brought a warm feeling to the blonde, a smile that in the back of his mind just made him want to cry.

"K-Kari?" he stuttered out, but she continued watching him from afar. "Kari? Hikari!" TK stumbled to his feet, and as he ungraciously found his balance she spoke. Her voice was but a soothing whisper, the tone of a mother comforting a wailing child.

"I've missed you, TK."

"I missed you too," he breathed.

Kari frowned. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you never did anything wrong."

TK was frozen to his spot, not daring to step any closer. All the nights dreaming of just one more moment with her. He was too afraid of waking up this time. She took gentle steps over to him until they were only a foot away. Now more than ever he could sense her angelic presence, lose himself in her radiant red eyes.

"I've been watching all of you. I have a lot of faith in the new team." There was a longing in her words like she wanted to say more but didn't go on.

"Good, that's something we really need right now." A pang of emotion hit her when he smiled at her, but she wasn't quite sure of what. Sadness? Jealousy? She'd missed that innocent grin most of all.

"Kari, are you…" he trailed off trying to place his jumbled thoughts into a sentence. "Are you really here?"

The girl stayed silent and delicately stepped closer to him until she could easily reach her hand up to his head. She gently ran her fingers through his golden locks then slowly smoothed a few stray strands back into place. TK didn't dare move the whole time; he only stared into her eyes, shining with moisture and as blatantly readable as ever.

With a smile as joyful as Christmas and a voice as sweet as honey, she said, "You've gotten taller." Only her eyes revealed her true sorrow.

"Can you come back?" he asked unaware of his wavering whisper, "You could help us. Please, I need you."

The moisture in her eyes intensified, tears hung by her eyelashes. He reached out to brush them away, but she stepped back, the hand in his hair falling down to his hand. She squeezed tighter with every word. "I can't. This is up to you and your team, but I'll be around even if you won't know it." She paused and took a few calming breaths. Still standing an arm's length away from TK, she breathed through a now breaking voice, "Could you do me a favor?"

His throat tight, he only nodded.

"Tell Tai and everyone else that I'm alright."

He nodded again, and she released his hand letting it fall limply to his side. She regained her composure somewhat and whispered, "Thank you, TK. Now it's time for you to wake up."

His vision began to blur, and he swayed slightly.

"Time for you to wake up."

His surroundings blurred more until he lost all his senses. Everything went black.

"Wake up."

"Wake up!"

"Get up already!" A deeper voice than before growled. TK opened his eyes to be met with a sharp pain in the back of his head. His hand instantly shot to the pain where he found bandages.

"Oh good, you're up," Joe said though he didn't sound that excited since his mind was preoccupied by the digimon he was currently treating.

Davis on the other hand, sat to TK's right and was grinning broadly. "Finally! Dude, when Mummymon knocked you out Yolei thought that was it, but I had a little more faith than that. Man, you're lucky Joe was here!"

TK blinked as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening: He was in a battle, he got knocked out, and he woke up as one of Joe's patients. Was Kari a dream?

He closed his eyes and was launched back to her. He saw her angelic face, felt her hand in his own, heard her tearful words.

_"I'll be around even if you won't know it."_

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Thanks for reading!


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